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MARCOUSSIS, France - France captain Raphael Ibanez says his main task before this weekend's Six Nations match against Wales is to protect the team against overconfidence.
"We won our first two games against Italy and Ireland, the Welsh lost twice, to Ireland and Scotland, but we have to approach this match with of a lot of vigilance, concentration and freshness," Ibanez said today.
"They have reshuffled their team, adding power to their pack, and we only have to look at the results of our last two encounters to realise that they are not an easy team to beat.
In 2005, Wales stunned France 24-18 at the Stade de France in a match played at a frantic pace with both sides dominating in turn, throwing the ball around and hitting each other with ferocious defence.
The French overcame the visitors during the first half, scoring two tries to reach halftime with a 15-6 lead but bowed to a Welsh revival in the second half.
Last season, France won 21-16 at the Millennium Stadium in a Championship-clinching game but the Welsh were leading 13-6 at the break and the French only secured their victory with a late try by centre Florian Fritz.
"To beat Wales, we'll have to do what we did two years ago: put them under pressure from the start. But we'll have to maintain the pressure until the end," said France assistant coach Jacques Brunel.
"We have to smother them. They are like a fire, if it gets out of control, one has to know when and how smother it. If we manage to do that, they will not be able to rekindle the flame," added No 8 Elvis Vermeulen.
Since the players reassembled on Monday at the French National Rugby Centre, coach Bernard Laporte has chaired several sessions of video analysis of the Welsh game.
"There is no risk that we could sink into overconfidence," said lock and vice-captain Jerome Thion.
"We noticed that their defeats to Ireland and Scotland were largely due to defensive errors and if they are able to correct that they will become a very good team again," he added.
"The results of their clubs in the Heineken Cup speak for them. We faced the Ospreys with Stade Francais and had to content ourselves with a short win in Paris and a draw in Wales," said winger Christophe Dominici.
- REUTERS
